More than 5 million people are buried at the Wadi al-Salaam in Najaf, in central Iraq. This makes it the largest cemetery in the world. It covers some 10 square kilometres, which is equivalent to 900 football fields. The Najaf cemetery is also a testimony to the various chapters of Iraqi history. It expanded after the Iran-Iraq war, the Gulf War, the US invasion, the rise of Islamic State and the COVID pandemic. The cemetery workers know every nook and cranny of this massive burial ground. Lineal gravediggers as well as members of their families, who have worked on the site for generations share their stories.
Sons of the Graveyard
